Candidates for state rep in 15th Worcester District take shots in forum

Wednesday

Aug 13, 2014 at 10:34 PM

By Steven H. Foskett Jr. TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — Candidate forums typically offer a more genteel setting for political candidates than a traditional debate, but incumbent 15th Worcester District state Rep. Mary Keefe and District 2 City Councilor Phil Palmieri got in a few shots at each other in the Saxe Room of the Worcester Public Library Wednesday night.

For nearly two hours, Ms. Keefe, Mr. Palmieri, and Ralph Perez, all Democrats, answered a wide range of questions that ranged from prostitution and gun violence to local aid and education.

The 15th Worcester District forum, presented by the Initiative for Engaged Citizenship and the Worcester NAACP, was a chance for the candidates to get their messages out ahead of the Sept. 9 primary.

Ms. Keefe defended her support of legislation that would allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. Calling it a matter of public safety more than an immigration issue, Ms. Keefe said anyone who drives on roads in the state should be trained and educated in order to hold a license.

Mr. Palmieri noted that the legislation was rejected by lawmakers; he said co-sponsoring or voting for legislation that doesn't work isn't practical.

Ms. Keefe reiterated her support for the legislation, and turned it back to Mr. Palmieri, saying she was unclear where he ultimately stood on the issue.

Mr. Palmieri said he hasn't seen the legislation, but said that as a state representative, he would carefully look at the issues.

Ms. Keefe said she was shocked when she saw an economic development bill move through the Legislature that didn't have much money for the city; she said she was able to get $75,000 appropriated for the Worcester Jobs Fund, a by product of the Worcester Community Labor Coalition, for pre-apprenticeship training, about an hour before the package was deliberated.

"I'm really proud of that," Ms. Keefe said. "It's a foot in the door. We can do a lot with that money."

Mr. Palmieri said it was a good first step, but was just a drop in the bucket. He called for more internships and apprenticeships that would match up young people with local businesses through the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Perez called the $75,000 a "slap in the face," and said that if elected, he will make sure the district gets what it needs.

"I'm talking more like $100 million," Mr. Perez said.

Ms. Keefe touted her support of a minimum wage increase, and her support of more brownfields redevelopment funding.

But Mr. Palmieri noted that the minimum wage increase his opponent supported was not indexed to inflation, and said Ms. Keefe was opposed to the redevelopment of the Wyman-Gordon property as a casino. He said he wants to see the Worcester Redevelopment Authority take it over.

Mr. Palmieri painted Ms. Keefe as someone who doesn't know when to compromise, and pointed to her support several years ago for 12 new swimming pools in the city. He said that if people shared that view, the city would be without any of its new aquatic facilities today.

The candidates were asked how they would protect sex workers who operate in the city, in light of the five prostitutes from the Main South area killed in the 2000s. Ms. Keefe said there has been some recent movement in the city away from going after prostitutes to focusing on johns. She said she would like to see more quality sex education in the schools.

Mr. Palmieri said that in the end, what is needed is help for sex workers. They need help from churches, the community, and therapists, to try to give them another opportunity.

"We have to make that commitment," Mr. Palmieri said.

Ms. Keefe said that if re-elected to another term, she wants to fight for further criminal records reform, more robust early education, and more dependable train service to Boston. She said she has a vision of building a real power base in the Statehouse among Central Mass. lawmakers. She said the Boston delegation meets once a week to set priorities.

"I would like to see us do that in Central Mass.," Ms. Keefe said.

Mr. Palmieri said one of the first things he will do if elected will be to meet with House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo to continue to advocate for a fairer share of local aid for the district. He said the district needs a strong, experienced voice who is willing to push the envelope.

Mr. Perez painted a terrifying picture of the city for attendees at the forum: He said it's "going to Hell in a basket."

He made several claims, including that children in the city are drooling on themselves after being "drugged" with Ritalin, and that most children in the 15th Worcester District are in jail or on parole. He said residents can't walk down the street without being begged for money, and said mothers and children are sleeping behind churches in the rain.

He said kids "don't believe in death," and will see what they want, get a gun, and take it. He said the city needs to give them hope, so they know they have a future. Meantime, officials are discussing developing the Canal District, he said.

"These children will take your life without a thought," he said.

While he's running for state representative, he said that if elected, he will bypass the "do-nothing" state government and seek the help of the federal government.

Mr. Palmieri said he would like to see same-day voter registration to make the process easier, and said he would even support some kind of week-long election period to accommodate varying voter work schedules. Mr. Perez said he thinks residents' voter registration should be good for life, and said ballots should be mailed to voters.

Ms. Keefe said she thinks something was lost when polling places were removed from schools. She said she understood the safety concerns, but said there were police details at the polling places. People have to travel far now, she said.

"It doesn't seem like a place in their neighborhood any longer," she said.